Aging and exercise...
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dianaejennings
Posts: 13 Member
Hi all, I've gone from Sedentary to working hard to lose weight, and it's harder than it used to be. I'm needing lots more sleep, and it takes me longer to recover than it did when I was younger (no surprise there I guess). How are you finding your recovery time from workouts? Do you experience fatigue? If so, what helps?
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Congratulations for starting the journey.
I'm not an expert by any stretch. I don't find my recovery time is any longer than when I was younger but I do find I get fatigued more easily. Getting and remaining motivated is harder. I don't know if there is a predictable way to fix that other than working your tail off.1 -
My motivation level is pretty high, actually, partly because I'm so fed up but also because I have learned what keeps me going. Having social supports in person and on the internet is big for me. But arthritis runs strong in my family and there are days where the knees, back, neck and hips are hard to deal with.
I've been hard at it for over two months and have lost 10% -- 23 pounds.1 -
Congratulations on your progress. I do find it takes longer to recover after workouts. On the days I work out, it's early to bed or I'm asleep in the chair. I've had to back off to two sessions of power-lifting a week. I'll be 61 in a couple weeks. I'm still gradually building mass, muscle instead of the easier to produce fat, but lifters my age need to recognize the real limitations of the mileage on the frame.0
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It definitely takes time to recover!0
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I did seven miles Saturday with a thirty pound pack. I've been walking less due to busy work schedule. Five days later still feeling it. It is what it is2
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allenpriest wrote: »I did seven miles Saturday with a thirty pound pack. I've been walking less due to busy work schedule. Five days later still feeling it. It is what it is
Wow! That's impressive
No wonder your feeling it
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I did a 6 mile hike on Monday gone. Hole of Horcum in Levisham. North Yorkshire. A very varied walk. I realised just how much fitness I've lost since I left the gym. I'm going to do more walking to improve my fitness2
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I did a 6 mile hike on Monday gone. Hole of Horcum in Levisham. North Yorkshire. A very varied walk. I realised just how much fitness I've lost since I left the gym. I'm going to do more walking to improve my fitness
Walking is always good exercise. It's free, you already know how to do it and you can do it almost any time and place. I know quite a few people who have lost weight, kept it off and got more fit primarily by walking.
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I find that at times when I bend or squat I am now making those groans I used to hear come from my parents or grandparents! OUCH! I never thoughts I would be at that point. But I still keep on exercising and running. Got to keep active.4
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You rust out faster than you wear out.1
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I find that at times when I bend or squat I am now making those groans I used to hear come from my parents or grandparents! OUCH! I never thoughts I would be at that point. But I still keep on exercising and running. Got to keep active.
I'm exactly the same. I never thought I would get to this point. Old age & poverty
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Most of us, as we get older, need less sleep. That isn't the case with everybody, of course, so if you need to sleep you need to sleep. Congratulations on it, too.1
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I personally don't think it's all that much harder to 'lose weight' as we get older as others will say in the forums. I think it's just that we naturally become more sedentary as we get older, so it takes more to motivate us to be more active...and I'd have to agree it's harder to be active as we get older.
I think back to when I was a kid, and I didn't think I did all that much - I was far from an athlete as I never did any organized sports at school...but I walked or rode my bike everywhere...I climbed trees, I played kickball and basketball in the court with the other kids on the street...and I used to go roller skating every Friday night for 3 hours (2 skate sessions), and then stayed for dancing afterwards for another 1.5 hours (the calorie burn for 4.5 hours of that is through the roof). Even at school, we changed classrooms every hour...I'm sure we 'got our steps in'...even though that was a foreign concept back then. I was considered one of those 'naturally skinny' people...but in reality, I was just really really active, even though I thought of it as fun rather than exercise back then.
My normal 'activity' now consists of sitting in front of a computer most days. So, I have to be reminded to get up and move, or go outside to 'play'/exercise. I hate having to schedule exercise, but if I don't, I won't get it as I'll spend all day on my laptop.
I think a lot of folks want to lose without adding in that activity (because "it only takes a calorie deficit to lose"; however, more activity does mean more food!)...especially at our ages it's harder to be active...because, yea, it does hurt more / there are more aches and pains...more BenGay/Aspercreme...more Advil/Tylenol needed. There is longer recovery than when we were kids - I often have a day or two of DOMS when I've been really working out hard, especially on race weekends, and I don't workout daily as I need rest days for recovery.
Sleep is great for recovery!! It's okay to spend more time sleeping as it helps our body focus on the repair of those muscles that we used. Oh, yea, as a kid/teen, I wouldn't think twice about sleeping for 12 hours straight...probably needed it because I was so active. Now, I'm doing good if I can get 7 hours regularly...and if really tired, I might sleep for 9 before I hear the cats beating on my head to be fed in the morning. I do try to fit in some naps on weeks where I'm really active with my workouts. BTW, most great athletes sleep a lot...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/these-famous-athletes-rely-on-sleep_n_5659345.html
Maybe we all just need to be kids again...and figure out more active ways to have fun... 6 -
Well said B4achy 0
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This morning, I volunteered as part of a group providing traffic control for a motorcycling event called Ride for Dad. The event is a fundraiser for prostate cancer research. It's a combination of parade and a "poker run" when riders go from station to station along a route collecting stamps on their card. My part was pretty small... just standing at an intersection keeping cars from pulling out into the midst of the parade.
As I watched the +2000 motorcycles rolling past, it was an interesting variety of motorcycles... everything from Vespas to sportbikes to Harley cruisers to fully decks touring bikes (sofas on wheels). There was also an interesting variety of riders... all ages, stages and sizes... There was plenty of gray hair... which is a good thing... and everyone was enjoying themselves... except the obligatory one guy who had a breakdown...
The reason I mention this is I'm frustrated with my lack of progress with weight loss... and perhaps that was playing on my mind as I watched the bikers streaming past. Frankly, it was disheartening how many people were obese. To be honest, those around my age were generally fitter than those a decade younger (40s)... and they were better than those in their 30s. Those in their twenties and younger were generally still relative fit but even some of them were fluffy...
I'm not sure what to make of it... something for me to meditate on, I suppose. Perhaps those in their fifties and up decide to take better care of themselves and make it so? Maybe today's 40s were be fitter in a decade?0 -
Stay the course Mac. I'm frustrated with my weight loss as well, but still determined. I'm eating a fraction of what I used to eat when younger, but still struggling to lose. Geezer metabolism. I am stronger and more muscled up than I ever was after three years of lifting, and the regular exercise keeps the warrantee up on the rebuilt heart. I'm still determined to get rid of the spare tire.1
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I don't like to blame it on the geezer metabolism although that is likely part of the issue. I've been changing my diet, slowly modifying as I want the changes to be sustainable. My body fat has dropped and skeletal muscle grown but the body weight remains effectively static.
Although I've resisted doing so, I recently started weighing/measuring portions. Prior to measuring, I was "best guessing" my portions... and I was surprised to find my guesses were fairly accurate. I thought I wasn't losing because my guesses were high. I was off a bit but less than 10% so not remarkably so.
More years ago than I care to remember, I did a super strict fat stripping diet prep for a bodybuilding competition. I'm considering doing something similar to get the weight down and establish a new baseline weight. That being said, when I did that, my cousin was my workout partner. He was the coach and nutritionist. I guess I should have paid better attention to what we were doing. I remember thinking at the time that the food was kinda boring but I'll be damned if I can remember the portion sizes etc.1 -
I definitely feel that working out takes a lot more out of me than years ago. It makes it difficult for me to stay motivated to work out. I totally can relate!!!0
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Losing weight is a good goal, but I think the emphasis needs to be move it or lose it. Muscles that are not used will weaken. We all need to have the attitude that we will continue to move as long as we are able. I have a frozen shoulder that doesn't move right. I got therapy and strengthened it. It still isn't right, but the pain is gone. The pain wasn't the immobility, it was the weakness. It doesn't matter if you lose weight or if your matabolism is messed up. Just move and don't stop.2
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I was chatting with a guy at my motorcycle social group who was carping about being stiff. I asked if he has tried yoga. He said he didn't think he could do yoga as he was too inflexible. I asked if he would avoid eating if he was extremely hungry. He shook his head... so I said his body was hungry for yoga so he needed to feed it. He looked skeptical so I pointed out how yoga is non-competitive, no impact and proven to help improve quality of life. Not sure I converted him but anything is possible. Ommmmmm....2
